Morning journal and courier., 1887-03-07
Monday, March ?, 1887.
HENRY WARD BEECHER.

Henry Ward Beeeher was so full of life and so active and healthy in mind and body that, though he had seen more than three score years and ten death seemed far away from him. But in day all is changed, and the end of the powerful thinker and orator seems, in all probability, close at hand.
 Mir. Beecher has made powerful impress sion on the history of his time He was early recognized as . man of great ability and mental strength. He made no notable mark while in college, except that his dislike for regular and hard study was conspicuous. But when he began to preach in 1887 at Laursnceburg, Indiana, he showed the quail ty of oratory which soon made hin famous. After preaching there for two years he went to Indianapolis, where he stayed eight years. He was thirty-four years old when he went to Plymouth church in Brooklyn, there to gather around him great congregation of enthusiastic hearers and admirers, and to do work which has no parallel in the religious record of the country. For forty years his utrerances from the platform of Plymouth church have commanded general attention, and during many of those years they have EccMCO tO e SICd5 AuAAOC1 d5 uOIAIAS AcD1 than inspired. His religious thought and speech have always been kindly, liberal and hopeful, and as his years have grown so have his hope and his charity for the human race. He long ago ceased to be orthodox, but he has never ceased to preach the truth as he saw it, and he has never lacked 8 loving and sympathetic audience who felt helped and sRi lot >J 1x,h hia pl ua has had a vast influence on the religious thought of his day.
 But 1t is not alone as 8 preacher that MT. Beecher has made himself felt He has been 2 great reformer. When the contest over slavery became warm, with characteristic manliness and fervor he espoused the cause of the slave and was the powerful and un- ainching advocate of human rights until the war settled the question. His course before and during the war showed him to be true patriot and earned him the lasting gratitude of his countrymen. Here and in England he upheld the Union cause fearlsssly and zeal ously, and bis words strengthened the brave and cheered the faint-hearted and fearful His quality was never better more conspio- uously shown than in the dark days when it seemed that treason might triumph and the chains of the slave be frightened.
 He has been an earnest advocate of temper ance and of reform in the administration of public affairs. His last appearance in public was at the citizens meeting at Chickering Hall in support of the High License bill. His speech there was earnest and eloquent. He has always taken an active part in poli- tics. He fought with and for the Republican party from it's foundation until the nomina- tion of Cleveland in 1884, and he gave him full and ungrudging support.
 As preacher, lecturer, author and politi- elan (we use the word in it's best sense) MT. Beecher's life has been one of tremendous snd greatly varied activity. Few men have done as much work as he, and few have, on the whole, done better work. His strength, his genius, his cheerfulness and his hope have been used in the service of humanity. His fame will long endure.